Summary
Django: cache middleware may expose private responses when unrelated request cookies are present
An issue was discovered in Django 6.0 before 6.0.7 and 5.2 before 5.2.16.UpdateCacheMiddleware and the cache_page() decorator cache responses that vary on cookies when the incoming request carries unrelated cookies, which allows remote attackers to read private data from the shared cache.
Earlier, unsupported Django series (such as 5.0.x, 4.1.x, and 3.2.x) were not evaluated and may also be affected.
Django would like to thank Chris Whyland for reporting this issue.
Impact
CVE-2026-48588 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). The vector is network-reachable, no privileges required, and user interaction required. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. A fixed version is available (5.2.16, 6.0.7); upgrading removes the vulnerable code path.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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django to 5.2.16 or later; django to 6.0.7 or later
Kodem Kai can prioritize this vulnerability in your dependency tree and generate a fix recommendation.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2026-48588? CVE-2026-48588 is a low-severity security vulnerability in django (pip), affecting versions < 5.2.16. It is fixed in 5.2.16, 6.0.7.
- How severe is CVE-2026-48588? CVE-2026-48588 has a CVSS score of 3.1 (Low). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Which versions of django are affected by CVE-2026-48588? django (pip) versions < 5.2.16 is affected.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2026-48588? Yes. CVE-2026-48588 is fixed in 5.2.16, 6.0.7. Upgrade to this version or later.
- Is CVE-2026-48588 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2026-48588 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2026-48588 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.
- How do I fix CVE-2026-48588?
- Upgrade
djangoto 5.2.16 or later - Upgrade
djangoto 6.0.7 or later
- Upgrade